The Howling

Have an appreciation for horror and had been interested in 'The Howling' franchise for a while, with the first film being highly recommended. Also know that werewolf films have been done well on film, the obvious example being 'An American Werewolf in London' (over 35 years on and that film is still a classic). So decided to continue my "watching and reviewing all films from horror franchises" quest, and did so with 'The Howling' series.

While not as good as 'An American Werewolf in London', not quite a classic and not without imperfections, 'The Howling' managed to be a highly effective and solid film of the genre and as an overall film. If asked whether it seems like it has held up well, my answer would be it seems as though it has. It's entertaining and has unsettling moments, while also being surprisingly well made and made by someone with a clear love for the genre with quite a number of affectionate touches. As far as 'The Howling' franchise goes, this is by far the best having found the follow-ups a very mixed bag. When it comes to films centred around werewolves, it's also one of the better ones.

'The Howling' may take too long to get going, with a relatively uneventful first stretch, and is not without its dull spots.

Regarding the acting, it is variable with Christopher Stone looking as though he was not very interested in his role or the film, his acting resembles that of sleep-walking. Dee Wallace fares much better, she is appealing and looks engaged but she is not without her not so good spots, particularly in some of her reactions.

On the other hand, 'The Howling' does look great. There is a lot of atmosphere and it is very stylishly photographed, the secluded setting also adding a lot. In this regard though, faring best are the pretty amazing special effects/make-up. The score looms ominously very effectively and Joe Dante directs with an assured hand, never ill at ease or losing control of the material, and with clear affection of the genre.

Standing out too are the sharp and witty script, a very successful attempt at turning genre cliches on their heads and doing things fresh with them and some quite decent characters that don't bore or annoy, some named after horror incons such as Freddie Francis and Terrence Fisher. In particularly the second half when things do properly get going, there is a suspenseful and unsettling atmosphere and actually did think there were some nicely timed scares. The werewolf transformations are highly imaginative and look great even today. Although the acting is variable, the horror stalwarts involved fare very well, they are accomplished and clearly know what they were doing. John Carradine is the clear standout here.

In conclusion, solid atmospheric fun with bite. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A very long build up to the first scare, and even then it's not at all scary by today's standards. But there are still some enjoyable aspects. The storyline is well developed, the acting is pretty good, and the gags work well. The werewolf transformation is first rate, especially for the 80s. A pretty good movie in the end.

Yes! For a change in the horror genre this film does deserve all of the praise, hype, cult following and respect it receives, even from the critics. I would go so far as to even admit that I find this Joe (Gremlins, Innerspace, The 'burbs, Matinee, Small soldiers) Dante flick one of his best crafted works, followed by PIRANHA.

It's always been a toss up between THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON for the most effective lycanthropy picture of postmodern horror cinema (anything since Psycho). Where John Landis used comedy more blatantly, the humour in THE HOWLING is far more satirical and subversive. Undoubtedly, Rob Bottin's effects steal the show as well as they did for John Carpenter's THE THING. The transformation of Eddie Quist, especially on the revamped DVD is something to behold.

For anyone with a passing interest in the horror genre this is a film to include on that 'TO SEE' list. For fans of werewolf movies this should go on that 'MUST SEE' list.

Most of my favourite horror movies of the 1980s were small, indie movies made outside the major studio system e.g. 'The Evil Dead', 'Maniac', 'Basket Case'. Most of the "big" horror movies then (like now) were pretty lame. 'The Howling' is a notable exception. Watching it over twenty years after it was originally released is quite an eye-opener. It not only holds up well, it is in fact, a damn fine movie. Joe Dante must take the credit for this. For me in the 1980s Dante was like a smarter, more inventive Spielberg. Dante, who learned his chops working for Roger Corman as an editor, writer and director, is a knowledgeable horror buff (Universal, Hammer, Bava movies) with a sly wit and great sense of fun. 'The Howling' is full of in jokes and ironic nods, but never goes all the way into comedy. Dante takes the material seriously. This is a pretty scary movie and the werewolves are some of the best ever seen. Dee Wallace ('The Hills Have Eyes', 'The Frighteners') is a TV reporter who is traumatized after a close encounter with a serial killer (Dante regular Robert Picardo). Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee of 'The Avengers' fame), a charming psychiatrist she knows and trusts suggest that she and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) join him at his therapeutic retreat "The Colony". I won't spoil the movie by going into detail about what happens next, but it's creepy and entertaining. Wallace is very good and Picardo, who usually plays comic roles, is convincing as Quist the psycho nut job. 'The Howling' was co-written by John Sayles, who pops up in a cameo, as does Roger Corman, and super fan Forrest J. Ackerman, former editor of 'Famous Monsters Of Filmland'. Dante is a loyal guy who always likes to acknowledge where he is coming from, so as well as Corman and Ackerman there are roles for horror legend John Carradine, Kevin McCarthy ('Invasion Of The Body Snatchers'), Kenneth Tobey ('The Thing From Another World'), Slim Pickens ('Dr Strangelove') and Dick Miller (as "Walter Paisley" his character in Corman's 1950s b-grade classic 'A Bucket Of Blood'). 'The Howling' is sure to be enjoyed by every horror buff and for me is one of the all time best werewolf movies along with Universal's 'The Wolf Man' and Hammer's underrated 'The Curse Of The Werewolf'.

Following news reporter Karen White's (Dee Wallace) cooperation with the police in taking down stalker and serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo), Karen is still reeling from the events with the trauma affecting both her career and relationship with her husband Bill Neill (Christopher Stone). On the advice of Dr. Waggner (Patrick Macnee), the two travel out to a secluded wellness hideaway known as The Colony in an effort to allow Karen a space to heal, in spite of mysterious howling in the surrounding woods. Meanwhile back in L. A., Karen's friends Chris (Dennis Dugan) and Terry's (Belinda Balaski) investigation into Eddie Quist reveals he may have been a more literal type of monster.

The Howling is a 1981 horror film loosely based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Gary Brandner. The film was brought into existence by theater chain owner Steven A. Lane who had wanted to get into film production and being an avid horror fan took an interest in the howling after seeing a blurb from Stephen King on its cover. Pursuing the rights to current holder Jack Conrad, the two set the film up at Avco Embassy Pictures. After creative clashes between Conrad and Avco Embassy both Conrad and Lane stepped back into an executive producing capacity with then Avco Embassy President Robert Rehme hiring Joe Dante and John Sayles as writer and director respectively having had a positive working experience with the duo at New World Pictures on Piranha in 1978. The Howling not only proved a hit with audiences earning $18 million against its $1.5 million budget, but also from critics many of whom appreciated the update on werewolf tropes with a healthy does of dark humor and social satire. The Howling is undeniably a welcome addition to the werewolf canon even if there's a few rough spots courtesy of its low budget.

As The Howling opens, you can feel the modern influence of urban cinema on its approach as the gothic structures and foggy moors have been replaced with the kind of sleazy corridors of urban rot that characterized many films of the 70s and 80s in various crime films. Dee Wallace is really good as Karen White who helps take down her stalker with the help of the police, but even after her nightmare is seemingly over it still lingers with her. The chemistry between Wallace and her real life husband Christopher Stone is well done and you do care about them as characters and become unsettled by the building tension over the course of their time at the Colony. The movie features a rich level of satire from the "wellness retreat" like atmosphere of the Colony that gradually becomes more sinister to the "if it bleeds, it leads" mentality of the TV news, to even commenting on the rise of pop psychology in the form of Dr. Waggner played by Patrick Macnee. If there's one thing I feel could've been revised a little I think it would be in the characters of Chris and Terry who initially feel very detached from the main plot for much of the running time and don't become as integral as they should until about the 50 minute mark or so. There is a bit of a feeling of budget based story compression going on as the audience is really thrown into the whole Eddie Quist setup pretty quickly which didn't allow me to get my bearings as quickly as I would've liked.

The Howling sees Joe Dante continue to refine his style of dark comedy with B-movie thrills in a entertaining and often intelligent modern re-dress of werewolves. While it has clear signs of rougher edges due to a low budget and tight turnaround time, it puts its limited resources to good use to make something that walks the line between funny and thrilling.